Top seeds cruise, but some upsets on day one of SA Schools Closed Squash Champs
Round one of the South African Schools Closed Squash Championships, being played in Johannesburg at the Barrow Squash Centre at St John’s College and at Roedean School, went smoothly for the top four seeds in the three age groups – u19, u16 and u14 -in the opening round on Friday. Round two, though, produced some upsets.
In the boys’ u14 competition, third-seed Liam Hart was surprised by sixth-seed Mangaliso Mbatha, who produced a dominating performance to win 11-7, 11-3, 11-8.
There was also an upset in the second round of the girls’ u14 event, with no. 5, Paisley Edkins, comfortably accounting for fourth-seed Rebecca Scheckter, running out an 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 winner.
It was also a case of five beating four in the girls’ u16 age group, with Vivienne van der Schyff taking down Starla Phillips in four games, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7.
That wasn’t the sole upset in the girls’ u16 age group. Sheryl Harborth, the sixth-seed, got the better of third-seed Kate van Biljon, triumphing 3-2 after a tremendous tussle, which included three games that went past 11 points – 10-12, 13-11, 11-8, 4-11 and 12-10.
In the last of the second round’s surprises, Western Province’s Alex Azevado ousted Border’s Cara Knott, also a good hockey player, in another win for a fifth-seed over a fourth-seed. There was little to separate the two, with Azevado claiming a 3-2 victory.
Meanwhile, the boys’ u19 top-seed Luhann Groenewald ruthlessly brushed aside the challenge of Marco van Rooyen, surrendering only five points in a one-sided contest.
Benji Newman, the u16 no.1 was a convincing 3-0 winner against Cobus Schimper in his only outing of the day, while u14 top-seed Déwan Borstlap cruised to successive 3-0 victories over Evan Janse van Rensburg and Bevan Garlick.
It was also smooth sailing for girls’ u19 top-seed Chanté Leppan, who won 3-0 against Mayra Bytebier, to match her fellow Hoërskool Zwartkop learner, boys’ u19 no. 1, Luhann Groenewald.
Makayla Naidoo, from St John’s DSG, the number one seed in the u16 division, comfortably accounted for Amy Gerber and Tamyln Galliers, without dropping a game.
The girls’ u14 top-seed, Rylee Howells, also from the KZN capital, and another product of the renowned Epworth squash factory, saw off Rebecca Scheckter and Paisley Edkins in straight games, finding it a lot easier against Edkins who, of course, upset Scheckter.
